>> have you ever wished for perfect health or dreamed about living a long vibrant life filled with all the things you love to do? well, i've got great news for you. in this show, i am going to share with you the secret cause of most all chronic disease. >> male announcer: internationally renowned digestive care expert and best-selling author, brenda watson, has spent her career giving the gift of vibrant health. >> i'm also gonna share with you the three early warning signs that your health is in jeopardy. then i'm going to give you the formula for living healthier than ever, for preventing and reversing--and i said "reversing"--

chronic poor health. you can turn your health around starting today. it is never too late. today, i'm going to share with you the simple, easy way to get to the heart of perfect health. [applause] [uplifting music] ♪ ♪ [applause continues] hi, everyone, and thanks so much for being with me today. you may know my passion is health--your health. health became my life's work not only because of my own health issues as a child, but because of how health problems affected my family and how painful it was to grow up seeing the people i loved deal with debilitating disease. so this show is deeply personal

to me, because it gives me the chance to make sure the same doesn't happen to you or your family and to let you know that if you're already dealing with chronic disease or the warning signs of chronic disease that is not your fate. you know, thinking back, it seemed that every one of my family had health problems. but the one health issue that affected me the most was my father. when he was 63, he, too, was labeled as diabetic. he was overweight and unhealthy, and over the next ten years, his health continued to decline. he developed high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and

ended up not only having a stroke but bypass surgery as well. he was on over 17 medications. it was heartbreaking for me to see him suffer like this. but by this time, i was working in a holistic health clinic. and i was able to convince my dad to come to a lecture with me about heart disease. it wasn't easy. [laughter] but within three months, he'd lost 30 pounds, and, believe it or not, he was off all the medication. he no longer had high blood sugar, high blood pressure, or high cholesterol. it really was a miracle. he changed his diet and started taking supplements.

this change in his health was not only healing for him; it was healing for me as well. it meant the world for me to see him actually enjoy his life again and do the things that he loved. and that's what i want for you too--to be able to enjoy a long, healthy, vibrant life. [applause] as part of my job as medical researcher and author, i've consulted with many leading doctors and cardiologists, and there's always been one question i would always ask them: "what do you feel is the root cause of chronic disease?" and the answer i get, time after time: "the cause of chronic

disease is inflammation." but what is inflammation? well, there's two types of inflammation. the first is acute inflammation, like when you get your finger jammed in a door. the finger gets swollen and inflamed. this brings blood flow to the area and helps start the healing process. this type of inflammation is good, because without it injuries and infections would never heal. now, the second type of inflammation is called silent inflammation, and this type of inflammation happens deep inside your body and can persist for long periods of time. imagine that swollen finger occuring inside of you.

and the reason it's called silent inflammation is because you can't see it, and you can't feel it, and it does not cause pain. and you can't see it or feel it because it happens at a cellular level within our body. and silent inflammation doesn't heal. it does damage instead. silent inflammation can be brewing inside of you right now, causing damage to your organs and tissues. it's sort of like the gas leak before the explosion. now, some of you may be wondering why the diva of digestion is talking to you about inflammation. and those of you who know me know the gut, the digestive system, is at the heart

of it all. yes, it all comes back to right here. and, later in the show, i'll explain how the gut is the answer to it all. but, for now, what are some of the signs that you have silent inflammation? diabetes, stroke, alzheimer's, arthritis, asthma, cancer, and, for most of us, heart disease. but wouldn't it be nice to know you have silent inflammation before it gets to that point? today, i will be showing you three key signs to look for before chronic disease develops. what would you say if i told you there was something that you could do to stop silent

inflammation in its tracks? and here's the best news: it's not "exercise more." [laughter] instead, the key to stopping silent inflammation-- are you ready for this? is "eat more fat." i see you're a bit shocked. but you heard me right. eat more fat, and more specifically, the fat called omega-3. getting enough of these good fats can save your life. and if you don't believe me, maybe you'll believe this. recently, harvard school of public health put out a press release of the top preventable causes of death. they're all what you would

expect, like smoking and obesity. but what's really surprising is number eight on the list: not enough omega-3 fat. most people think anything low-fat is good. but not this time. according to the study, 84,000 people die each year from having too little omega-3 fat in their diet. imagine that. 84,000 more people would be alive each year if they only had enough omega-3 fat in their diet every day. and next year, you could be one of them. later in the show, i will be sharing with you how omega-3 fats can stop inflammation and can save your life. and did you know that the

american heart association says over 82 million americans--which is one in every three people-- have at least one form of cardiovascular disease. okay, since it's not you, then look to your friend on the right and look to your friend on the left, because one of them has cardiovascular disease. and as you'll see in the show, this also means they have silent inflammation. and although heart disease is the number one killer in america, it's largely preventable. did you know that? you don't have to die of cardiovascular disease. so how do you know if you have

silent inflammation simmering, just waiting to show itself? remember, you can't see it. you can't feel it. and you don't want to wait to have a heart attack to find out. the first sign that you have silent inflammation is high cholesterol. now, how many of you know that high cholesterol is bad for your health? right, most of you. according to the cdc, people with high cholesterol, which is over 200 milligrams, have twice the risk of developing cardiovascular disease. well, let me tell you about my husband, stan. stan was just turning 50 and believe it or not, we do have the occasional conversation

about health in our house. [laughter] stan's total cholesterol level was a shocking, and i mean shocking, 486. i would call this a big sign. [laughter] and when the doctor saw the results, she almost passed out. she wanted to immediately get stan on statin medications. but we were able to convince her to let us try some natural strategies first. and here is stan's cholesterol just six weeks later: an amazing 172. and that's without ever taking a prescription medication. now, before i share what stan did, let me tell you, in

reality, only about 15% of our cholesterol comes from the cholesterol in the food we eat. the other 85% is actually made in our liver. we need cholesterol. it is found in every cell of our body. cholesterol is needed for making things like our hormones vitamin d, and for digestion. and most importantly cholesterol is needed to help heal and repair damage in the body. i want you to remember this. so cholesterol itself is not bad for us. not at all. far from it. we have to have it. but why does your body produce too much? well, the answer is, your body produces more cholesterol in

response to silent inflammation in the body. remember i said cholesterol is needed to heal and repair damage? silent inflammation around your body, whether it be in your joints, your arteries, your heart, or your gut, will damage your tissues and cells. and in order to heal and repair, you make more cholesterol. your cholesterol is only high in response to rising silent inflammation in the body. your body is signalling for help. and it's the inflammation that's doing the harm, not the cholesterol. ahd it's the silent inflammation that you need to treat. and as far as stan, what did he do? well, like i said earlier, he

ate more fat. he started taking the omega-3 good fats daily. omega-3 fats reduce silent inflammation in the body. and he also treated the root cause of the inflammation-- he healed his gut. and the inflammation went away and so did the high cholesterol. later in the show, i will be showing you exactly how the gut contributes to silent inflammation. and, although high cholesterol is one sign that you have silent inflammation and a high risk of heart disease, it's not the only one. so let's talk about the next sign that you have silent inflammation. and that is high blood pressure: high blood pressure, which is

considered above 140 over 90; normal blood pressure is now below 120 over 80. but here's the surprising thing you may not have known about high blood pressure. studies are now showing that a common reason for high blood pressure is--you probably guessed it--silent inflammation in the body. silent inflammation can increase blood pressure two ways. first, it causes the arteries to become hard and thicken. it's sort of like leaving a garden hose out in the sun too long. they become hard and no longer flexible. and the other way is that silent inflammation stimulates the production of plaque, which narrows the blood flow. both of these events cause

resistance in your arteries, and the result is high blood pressure. just like with high cholesterol, high blood pressure is an early warning sign that you have silent inflammation in the body. and having high blood pressure can affect every aspect of your life. i told you this show was very personal to me. and i want to tell you about our good friend, frank. frank is a commercial pilot. and being a pilot, he has to have regular health exams. well, on frank's last exam, it was determined he had high blood pressure of 150 over 78. his doctor mentioned he may need some medication. and, as a pilot, he would have to list the medication on his pilot medical form. not only was frank concerned

about the side effects of medications, but he could potentially lose his pilot's license. so what did frank do? well, like stan, he went to the heart of the matter: the gut. and, like stan, he ate more fat. he started taking a good omega-3 supplement. omega-3 fats will dilate blood vessels and reduce blood pressure. frank also started taking some celery seed extract, and believe it or not, dark chocolate. yes, dark chocolate. as a matter of fact, studies show that a moderate amount of dark chocolate, several times a week, will reduce inflammation in the body. so how fun is that? [laughter] i happened to speak to frank the other day, and he told me his

blood pressure has gone down to 136 over 72. now, unlike frank, a lot of you may not be at risk of losing your job. but you're at risk of losing so much more-- your life. you need to know what your blood pressure is on a regular basis just like cholesterol. you need to know your numbers. remember, not knowing is not okay. you must know your numbers to get at the heart of perfect health. now, you've learned, in this segment, that silent inflammation is the cause of most all chronic disease. you also learned about two of the three signs that you have silent inflammation and a high

risk for heart disease. those are high cholesterol and high blood pressure. and you've heard me tell you in order to stop silent inflammation, you have to get to the heart of the matter: the gut. and when we come back, i'm not only going to show you the major role that your gut plays in the development of chronic disease but i'm going to point out the number one warning sign that you need to look for in your daily life that i'll bet you've never even thought of. thank you. [applause] >> stay tuned for more of heart of perfect health with brenda watson. i'm rhea feiken. there's a simple, natural way to reverse the cycle of poor health

and avoid becoming a statistic. we're really glad that renowned digestive care expert and best-selling author and friend to public television brenda watson is here to help us realize the power that we hold to take control of our heart health. and in the next segment, she's gonna reveal the number one warning sign to look for before we develop chronic disease. public television believes in offering educational shows that help our viewers improve their lives. if you're interested in living a long, healthy life, and you enjoy these kinds of specials right here on this station, then i hope that we're gonna hear from you right now. and we have some wonderful ways of saying thanks when you support this station at certain membership levels. please take a look. >> male announcer: support public television, and we'll say "thank you" with some terrific gifts from brenda watson. make a $70 contribution, and you'll receive

the heart of perfect health dvd, which contains bonus material not in this broadcast. for a $90 contribution, you'll receive the dvd plus the omega-3 connection to perfect health guide. and if you support this station with a $195 contribution, we'll say "thanks" with the love your heart master package. this includes the program dvd, the heart of perfect health hardcover companion book brenda's three-cd audio set, the omega-3 guide, and a trial membership to brenda's perfect health website. please call the number on your screen now and support the wonderful, life improving programs on public television. >> brenda, i am so glad to see you again. you know, we have all--the viewers, me--we have all learned so much from your programs, and this one, i think, is maybe the best of all. and it's very personal to you, i know. >> it is, because i've had to watch my family have heart

disease and die of heart disease, and my husband's story with cholesterol changed my life. >> well, i'm glad for all of us that we get to have the benefit of all that. and, you know, it's just wonderful. you're such a good teacher. that's the thing i love about you. you make it so easy to understand and so positive. like, maybe we have problems but we can do something about them. >> we can! you can be your own health advocate. that's what we're saying. you can be your own health advocate. you just need to understand what to do. >> well, you know, it's really interesting, 'cause so many times people talk about their symptoms. and they are talking about that and not treating the cause. >> right, and the reason is, when people talk about their symptoms, they don't really know what the cause is. like, what we're saying in the program is, cholesterol is a symptom of an inner cause of inflammation that you can't see or feel. >> so if you don't know what it is, you don't know how to treat it.

>> and, you know, one of the ways that you really can learn about all this is with this most exciting gift that we have to offer today. if you can call in with a pledge of $195, we have the love your heart master package. now, it includes the dvd that we're watching now, which has a lot of additional information on it. >> yes. i have never been so excited about a dvd, other than what you're seeing on the program. >> what's in that bonus material? >> well, in the bonus material there's a lot that we had to edit for the program that you're watching. and one of the things we had to edit was the fact that in the show, i have a lot on ldl-- lousy cholesterol and healthy cholesterol, which is the hdl-- all the myths surround cholesterol. most of you are sitting there, thinking, "you know what? i get most of my high cholesterol from saturated fat." i'm gonna change the way you think about that. >> and that is really amazing. also, you're gonna get the omega

3 connection to perfect health guide, which all of us will find really fascinating, and the hardcover companion book to today's program and a three-cd audio set called the heart of perfect health and you're also gonna get a coupon good for one year membership to the heart of perfect health website. i need you to talk about this book. brenda, i love this book. >> well, this is a color book teaching you all about how the digestive system is linked to silent inflammation, and then that is linked to heart disease and other chronic illnesses. and as you know, when i brought other types of material to public television, is it very educational and user-friendly. it gives you everything you need to do, not only from the natural perspective, diet, supplementation, and it does so in teaching you in color photographs about the heart of

perfect health and about the ldl, your lousy cholesterol. and we've had beautiful medical illustrations in here giving you what you need to see so you can learn, because learning is part of what this is about. >> we're gonna be talking more about all of this, but now i can remember "lousy" and "healthy." i got that. please call the number right now that's on your screen and ask the operator about putting your contribution on a charge card. you know, your contribution is an investment in the health of this station, so please call now. >> announcer: support public television, and we'll say "thank you" with some terrific gifts from brenda watson. make a $70 contribution, and you'll receive the heart of perfect health dvd, which contains bonus material not in this broadcast. for a $90 contribution, you'll receive the dvd plus the omega 3 connection to perfect health guide. and if you support this station with a $195 contribution, we'll

say "thanks" with the love your heart master package. this includes the program dvd, the heart of perfect health hardcover companion book brenda's three-cd audio set, the omega 3 guide, and a trial membership to brenda's perfect health website. please call the number on your screen now and support the wonderful, life improving programs on public television. >> if you appreciate how public television exposes us to subjects that have an effect on our everyday lives, now is the time to call and show your support for the science and health programs that are important to you. we welcome your contribution at any amount. please ask about this station's basic membership level when you call the number on your screen. and when you support us at certain suggested levels, we have some terrific ways of saying thanks. for a pledge of $70, the heart of perfect health with brenda watson dvd:

this is the program we're watching right now. but it has an additional 40 minutes of bonus footage and also a fascinating q&a session. and then for a pledge of $90 the heart of perfect health dvd and the omega 3 connection to perfect health guide. get your health back on track by learning how the essential fats found in fish oil work to address the underlying contributors to chronic conditions. please call us now at the number on your screen and make the most generous financial contribution you can. now let's go back to rhea and brenda. >> i was kind of surprised that you weren't a fanatic about exercise. >> well, rhea, i say--what i say in the program is, it's not about exercising more. what it's about is, exercise is good, but a lot of it is about what you're eating and what type of supplementation that you need in order to not only prevent heart disease and other chronic

illnesses but reverse it. >> that is really an amazing thing. and you're gonna talk later about supplements, which i think is really important, and that we can all learn about. again, i want to talk about this exciting gift that we have to offer for you at the $195 level. it is the love your heart master package. and we told you it has the dvd in it, and it also has the omega-3 connection to perfect health guide and the companion hardcover book to today's program, which is exclusive to public television. but i want brenda to talk about the three cd audio set. would you do that? >> yes, i will. these three-disc audio cds are exciting. there's information on i.v. chelation for heart disease, which is an alternative therapy, wheat's connection to heart disease, and also the connection of inflammation to heart disease. these are exciting audio cds that you can listen to and learn right in your car. >> you know, brenda, one of the

things i love about this program is that it is "the heart of perfect health," and you did it because heart disease was something that really affected your family. but it is such a good thing for all of us to know, even people without heart disease or without the possibility of getting heart disease. this is a healthy way to live. >> 90% of heart disease, rhea, is preventable and reversible. so if you're looking at the year, for example, 2030, heart disease alone will cost us in medical care $1 trillion. >> wow, wow. >> so this is a big subject. and a lot of you sitting out there, thinking, "well, i don't really think i'm gonna have heart disease." think again. think again. as you go through the rest of these two segments, you're gonna see you're at risk. >> well, i hope that you all are enjoying this program, and i know that we're gonna be asking you to call right now. the number is on your screen. just ask the operator about

putting your contribution on a charge card, 'cause your contribution is an investment in the health of this station. so please call now. >> please stay tuned for more of heart of perfect health with brenda watson. but i want to go over these thank-you gifts one more time. for a pledge of $70, the heart of perfect health dvd. this is the program you're watching right now. it has an additional 40 minutes of fantastic information, plus a great q&a session with brenda watson. and then for a pledge of $90 as our way of saying "thank you" to you, the program dvd that i told you about and the omega-3 connection to perfect health guide. it is a must. there's a lot of information in this program, and it would be wonderful to be able to sit down and review it many times. and you'll be able to do that with the dvd and the program guide. and then for a pledge of $195, the love your heart master package, and it is phenomenal. it's the dvd, the program you're watching right now, the

fantastic hardcover book, the omega-3 guide, a three-cd set, and a one-year web membership. so please call the number on your screen and support your public television station. bu supporting this program, you are making your life and the lives of your family better and healthier. so call now, the number right there on your screen. and now back to brenda watson. thanks so much for your support. [uplifting music] ♪ ♪ [applause] >> welcome back. most of you know my past shows

have been about digestive health. so why am i now talking to you about your heart? because what happens to your heart can be directly related to what's going on in here, in your gut. and in the first segment, you learned that most all chronic disease is caused by silent inflammation in the body-- the gas leak before the explosion. since you cannot feel or see silent inflammation, you have to look for the signs. the first sign we discussed that you have silent inflammation was high cholesterol. remember, you want your cholesterol to be below 200 milligrams. the second sign you learned about is high blood pressure. you want your blood pressure to be below 120 over 80. now i'm going to share with you

the third sign that you have silent inflammation. and it's the big one. it's the motherlode... [laughter] that most people never even think of. and that is high blood sugar also called high glucose. elevated blood sugar is like throwing gasoline on an already-burning fire. high blood sugar will make your blood vessels stiff and weak which results in even higher blood pressure. high blood sugar also results in even higher cholesterol. it makes the healthy hdl go down and the lousy ldl go up--just the opposite of what you want.

high blood sugar will age you, weaken your immunity contribute to constipation and make you fat. even worse is that elevated blood sugar will result in even more silent inflammation in your body. it's a vicious cycle. and i want to say again, you do not have to be diabetic for this to be happening. your doctor may tell you "there's no need for concern unless your fasting glucose is over 100." well, i'm here to tell you that even fasting blood sugar levels over 85 can be just as dangerous to your health and play a huge role in cardiovascular disease.

now, other than silent inflammation, the main way we get too much sugar in our blood is too much sugar in our food. [laughter] now, don't get me wrong; we need some sugar. it's our body's main fuel. we need this fuel for our cells to function correctly. but all we really need is this much--1 teaspoon. each of us should have only about 1 teaspoon of sugar in our blood at any given time. and in a day, your body only needs 8 to 10 teaspoons in all the food you're eating to maintain this 1 teaspoon of sugar in your blood. but look at how much sugar an average american gets each

and every day-- over 37 teaspoons daily. and quite honestly, that's on the lower side. most are getting about 100 teaspoons a day. you know, this was a real eye-opener for me and my family. and speaking of family, i want to share a story about my sister, sandy. my sister sandy's weakness, like many, was always sugar. she had high blood sugar and was on medication for high blood pressure. sandy had always gone up and down with her weight. no matter what she tried, she was never able to lose the weight and keep it off. here's a picture of sandy a little over a year ago.

and no, that is not her baby. [laughter] well, sandy started paying attention to the amount of sugar she was eating each day. and let me tell you, like most of you would be, she was very surprised. she had no idea she was eating that much sugar, because it wasn't the obvious sugar, like in cakes or cookies and donuts. but it was also the carbs, like bread and pasta. you see, carbs turn to sugar in the body. and here's a tip: understanding that carbs turn to sugar is a great way to get started. here's a picture of sandy six months later.

she looks and feels great. what did sandy do? she lowered the amount of sugar in her diet to no more than 10 teaspoons daily. and how's her health now? no high blood pressure, no high blood sugar, and no medication. [applause] now, i know you're looking for help with this. what makes it so hard is that labels show sugar and carbs in grams, not teaspoons. this makes it very difficult to grasp how much sugar you're really eating. but the good news is, i've cracked the code... [laughter] and made it very, very

super simple. so basically, when you look at a label, take the total grams of carbohydrates--not sugars-- subtract the grams of fiber, and then divide by five. so again, take the total grams of carbohydrates, subtract the fiber, and then divide by five. this will give you the teaspoons of sugar in that food. knowing this will change the way you look at a label and make taking control of how much sugar you're eating much easier. you know, once both stan and sandy could count the teaspoons of sugar they were eating every day, they changed right before my very eyes. and you can change your life too, just like they did.

even small changes to the amount of sugar you're eating will make a big difference in your health. and we'll talk more about good and bad sugar levels a little later. but what you really need to understand now is that you need to be checking your blood sugar levels often. and if you already have health issues, you need to check it at least once a month. the easiest thing to do is check it yourself in between doctor visits. and don't forget about checking for the other two signs that you have silent inflammation and that is high cholesterol and high blood pressure. these three markers can give you the early warning signs that your health is in danger. you need to know your health numbers. think of all the numbers you already know that aren't nearly

as important. you need to make room for these. but remember, these are only the early warning signs that something else is going on in the body. and that something else is silent inflammation. silent inflammation in the body damages your tissues, your cells, and your organs. and it's the factor that sends you on your way to developing cardiovascular disease. but that's not all it causes. it also causes a host of other illnesses around the body, like arthritis, diabetes, alzheimer's, and even cancer. and in this program, you've heard me mention several times that in order to stop silent inflammation, you have to get to the root cause. but what is the root cause of this fiery situation that could

destroy your health? well, the answer may surprise you, because at the heart of silent inflammation is the gut. your gut is leaking. and what i mean is a condition called leaky gut syndrome, also known as increased intestinal permeability. now, you may have heard the term "leaky gut," but i'm going to show you what it is and why it leads to silent inflammation around the body. so here you see a healthy small intestine. the small intestine is where we absorb most of the nutrients from our food. inside the small intestine is a mucous lining, and lying just below the surface of this mucous lining is your bloodstream. this mucous lining is semi-permeable.

this means it allows the good stuff, like vitamins and minerals, into the bloodstream and keeps the bad stuff, like toxins and bad bacteria, out. it's sort of like the screen on the window of your house. it lets the good air in and keeps the dirt and the bugs out. this mucous lining also has a lot of the good, friendly bacteria called probiotics lined up on the surface, that protect it from invaders. it's sort of like the soldiers protecting their territory. when you have a lot of bad things, like undigested food bad bacteria, toxins, or yeast coming into contact with this mucous lining, it causes irritation. this irritation causes damage, and holes begin to develop

within the mucous lining and it no longer works as a barrier keeping the bad things out of the bloodstream. this allows undigested food, bad bacteria, and toxins to enter your bloodstream. when this happens, your immune system reacts. inflammatory proteins are activated. and the initiation of silent inflammation begins. these inflammatory proteins can travel throughout your body, triggering silent inflammation in your organs, joints, blood vessels, and even your brain. but how and why do you develop leaky gut? what causes it? well, there are several reasons.

one of the primary ones has to do with food. food can be our medicine or our poison. if you're not digesting your food well, this leaves undigested matter in your intestinal tract creating toxins. and this toxic food will irritate your intestinal lining. as well as--there are some foods, even if you digest well that are just plain damaging to your intestinal lining. two examples of these foods are high fructose corn syrup and the wheat protein called gluten. foods with gluten coming into continual contact with the mucous lining can lead directly to leaky gut. there's even some evidence that high fructose corn syrup can literally punch holes in the

intestinal lining. so i want you to think of it like this. if you took sandpaper, and you ran it along your skin every day, what would happen? your skin would wear away, become irritated, and eventually, inflammation would occur. the same thing happens on the inside. if you do not digest properly, or you eat damaging foods, your inside skin wears away. and here's a tip: the best way to make sure you're digesting your food properly is to make sure you have enough enzymes to break down your food. and you can do that by taking a digestive enzyme supplement with every meal. now, another big issue that can lead to leaky gut is not enough

probiotics in the digestive tract. probiotics will help keep your intestinal tract intact and healthy. remember, the bacteria line up along the digestive lining and help keep invaders from getting into your bloodstream. i've called this probiotic bacteria the gut protection system. it is so important to our overall health. and one more major issue that can lead to leaky gut and silent inflammation is not enough fat in your diet. and of course, i mean the good fats, like omega-3s, that are found in foods like fish and nuts. new studies show that a deficiency of omega-3 fats can lead directly to leaky gut. remember, leaky gut is a leading

cause of silent inflammation. and silent inflammation is a leading cause of chronic disease. getting enough omega-3 fats is one of the most important things you can do to heal leaky gut stop silent inflammation, and prevent chronic disease. you know, i've been saying for many years now that the gut, the digestive system, is the core to your overall health. and now you're seeing it's the core to your heart health as well. to make a real difference in your health, you cannot only treat the symptoms. you must treat the root cause of silent inflammation. you must heal and repair the gut.

now stay with me, because when we come back, i'll share with you exactly how to heal leaky gut, stop silent inflammation, and make sure your heart stays in perfect health. thank you. [applause] >> stay tuned for more of heart of perfect health with brenda watson. and in the final segment of the program, brenda's gonna discuss how to rebuild a healthy gut and take control of our health. you know, i have to say something to you, brenda. i mean, you have included an awful lot of information in this program. >> yes. >> and, you know, i'm like everybody else who's watched the program. i hear you. and i understand it. and then i think about it, and i think, "maybe i don't understand it." so if you're like me, and you're thinking, "maybe i need to go over that again," the way to do it is to consider this combo package, because if

you have the combo package you're gonna be able to go over everything. let me tell you about it. if you make a pledge of $195 the love your heart master package includes the program that we're watching now; it has the omega-3 connection to perfect health guide. you're gonna get the companion hardcover book of today's program, which is exclusive to public television. and you're also gonna get a three-cd audio set, called the heart of perfect health, and a coupon good for a one-year membership to the heart of perfect health website. now i want to talk a little bit--or i want you to talk a little bit about the formula. it is easy to understand when you say it, but i want to see it. now, you've let us do that in the book. >> i have, rhea, i have. in the book, in the love your heart, heart of perfect health section, we have three simple rules to track your sugar: how to make sure you're eating 10 teaspoons of sugar a day and

not more. we have an easy formula, so it's so simple. it's three steps. you can begin to convert your labels from grams of carbs into teaspoons and educate yourself. it is a very simple formula. and what's really great in the book, rhea, is the fact that we have these wonderful recipes in which you can see not only the recipe and what it looks like at the end but also how to prepare it and what each step looks like. and then the amount of teaspoons of sugar in each serving of that recipe. >> so you see, it has, like two teaspoons or three teaspoons. and so anybody can follow these recipes. and no, you don't really need the formula when you do these recipes, 'cause it does it for you. >> right, exactly. but the other thing that happens is, in the book are also all the lists of food, say, for example, blueberries, fruit, vegetables anything you're eating

and then how to convert that in the amount of sugar in each serving. so we hope you're gonna call now. the number is on your screen. we want you to ask the operator about putting your contribution on a charge card. when you do that, you're doing something wonderful for yourself and something wonderful for this station, because programs like this are on the air because folks like you have called in and made contributions in the past. now it's your turn. >> male announcer: support public television, and we'll say "thank you" with some terrific gifts from brenda watson. make a $70 contribution, and you'll receive the heart of perfect health dvd, which contains bonus material not in this broadcast. for a $90 contribution, you'll receive the dvd plus the omega-3 connection to perfect health guide. and if you support this station with a $195 contribution, we'll say "thanks" with the love your heart master package. this includes the program dvd,

the heart of perfect health hardcover companion book brenda's three-cd audio set, the omega-3 guide, and a trial membership to brenda's perfect health website. please call the number on your screen now and support the wonderful, life improving programs on public television. >> health professionals have been telling us for years about the dangers of high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and sugar. but i love how brenda gives us this easy to understand explanation of the digestive process, which really makes us rethink our eating habits. not only does she have sound recommendations for our health but she also knows how to keep public television healthy, and it all starts with your financial support. so please call now the number on your screen and pledge, if i may suggest, $70. and as our way of saying "thank you" to you, we will send you the heart of perfect health with brenda watson dvd. this is the program we're

watching right now. but it has an additional 40 minutes of bonus footage, all kinds of great information, and it also includes a q&a session. and then for a pledge of $90 we'll send you the heart of perfect health dvd, and also to come with it the omega-3 connection to perfect health guide. in this guide, you're gonna learn now the omega-3 fatty acids found in fish oil work in many ways to improve the inflammatory response as well as a range of chronic health conditions. now, these levels are just suggestions. so when you call, please ask the operator about this station's basic membership level. make your call of support now to the number on your screen, and help us to keep this station vibrant and thriving, and you healthy as well. rhea? >> i'd love you to talk a little bit more about the blood sugar levels. i think that's really important, isn't it? >> yes, it is. and one of the things i want to stress here is, you know, when we look at our blood sugar, our fasting blood sugar levels

usually it's considered, if it's over from 85 to 99, that's normal. and you're not diabetic, and you don't have a problem. but what i'm telling you in this program and in the materials we're showing you and all the scientific documentation that we have, that if your fasting blood sugar levels stay over 85--and this is revolutionary-- you are on the way to developing heart disease. >> wow, well, let's take a look at this picture, because i think, as they say, it's worth 1,000 words. >> it is. and this is a picture looking at how insulin reacts in a normal person who's healthy and a not normal person, when insulin won't go into the cell, into the system and help it. so this is a very good illustration of what's happening inside your body. these are things, folks, we can't see. we can't see these things that are happening inside our body.

and that's why photographs and illustrations and the pictures that we bring to you in the heart of perfect health-- that's exclusive to pbs, by the way. you will not get this anywhere else. this is a 450-page full color book with your total living lifestyle and how to manage your digestive system and keeping you in good health. >> you know, when you start looking at this book, you cannot put it down. i guarantee you. and i want to just review for you one more time about this great love your heart master package. and it is yours when you make a pledge of $195. it has the dvd of the program we're watching now the omega-3 connection to perfect health guide. you're also going to get the companion hardcover book that we've been showing you which i guarantee you will read from cover to cover. and that's exclusive to public television; and a three-cd audio set, plus

the coupon that's good for a one-year membership to the heart of perfect health website. do you have some favorite recipes in here? >> i do. i like the chicken recipes. i have grouper recipes, 'cause i'm a fish eater too. i love fish. so we have some really good fish recipes. and also, we have some recipes in here for some wonderful salads. you can add protein to them if you want to. and everything comes with teaspoons of sugar. so very easily, you're going to be able to calculate how many teaspoons of sugar you're eating. >> that is absolutely amazing. why don't you become a member of this station right now by calling the number on your screen? you're gonna be doing something wonderful for yourself, for your family, and, of course for this television station. >> watching just one program with brenda watson is like reading an entire book on good nutrition and healthy living. i already feel healthier just by watching this program. the power of television is truly awesome. but only public television uses

that power to be a positive force in education, in our community, in our culture, and in this instance, with our health. but with your help, this station will continue to provide shows and specials that enrich people's lives and make a difference in your life and the lives of the people whom you love. so please call now and pledge your support. and for a pledge of $70, it's our way of saying "thank you" for your call, we'll send you the heart of perfect health with brenda watson dvd. this is the program we're watching right now, and it is truly incredible and chock-filled with so much important information that will affect you on a day-to-day basis. now, this is the program you're watching, but we also, in this dvd have an additional 40 minutes of fascinating information and a q&a session, and you're not gonna get to see that on the broadcast, really here only on the dvd. and then for a pledge of $90 the heart of perfect health dvd, what i've told you about, and then the omega-3 connection to perfect health guide. all kinds of really